Purchasing the ring tomorrow! (Settle my fears)

Recommended Posts

I've been researching diamonds for the last month to make sure I get the right bang for buck - and tomorrow is D-Day!

The fear I need settled:

I have gone with a G-Si2 xxx brilliant cut.

However, since placing the initial deposit I have been doing more and more research and my fear is that I should go up one or two clarity points, mainly due to the fact that I may be able to see inclusions in an si2 with the naked eye - however as a novice (1 month of intense research maketh not a master) I want to get some opinions/thoughts - and found this forum tonight.

The jeweller/merhcant I have gone with is a straight shooter and has told me that the cut is more critical then colour (I could go H over G and wouldn't see the difference) however has said that there is a difference between si2/si1 and vs2 and while he will do his best to make sure he gets the best diamond for my price range (he is very highly recommended and well reviewed and isn't pushy) I'm concerned that I should just spend the extra, this is based on research and after having discussions with mates who have purchased diamonds recently, if I'm going to spend this much money, an extra 10% is worth investing to "do it right".

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

You’re doing just fine.The bias for higher clarity vs. higher color is a matter of taste although I don’t see anything wrong with it.Personally, I would bias towards color for example.That said, you’re positioning yourself at the edge of the proverbial cliff.The standard you appear to have set is ‘eye clean’, and that’s not part of the GIA grading rules.Usually, SI’s are, but it’s not required.The problem is that this question has to do with who’s eyes, under what lighting conditions, how long they get to look and from what distance, and if they know what to look for.The issues here are very small.If the standard is the most eagle-eyed mother in law out there, looking closely and repeatedly at a clean stone after first looking through a microscope so they know what to look for and where it is, SI2 is a serious risk.Even SI1 is risky unless we’re talking about a tiny stone.On the other hand, if we’re talking about normal people under normal viewing conditions, most I-1s are fine, and a lot cheaper.The way to decide is to look at it in person and make sure you understand your own priorities. Take it around to different lighting environments, show it to your friends and possibly even that dreaded MIL and see if it suits you.If it doesn’t, send it back and get another one. It's not that hard and it's a mistake to let the Internet freak you out about this whole issue. 'Eye clean' is about eyes. Your eyes. This really isn't rocket science.